These are my favorite cookbooks at the moment. The recipes are down-to-earth and diverse, and include many child-friendly dishes. I would recommend these books to any parent, whether they are excellent cooks or are interested to learn how to.

The River Cottage Family Cookbook is a food bible which every family must have! It contains so much relevant information about the history of food, how to grow or raise food, how to cook it, prepare it and preserve it. For children (and adults) it is more than a just cookbook, it’s also an activity book. Making homemade butter was a great experiment that kept my children busy for an hour. The recipes are simple and always come out well. Leo & Alex love making the Choocolate Chip Cookies. The drop scones (pancakes) are the best pancake recipe I’ve made so far (and I’ve tried more than a dozen.) They come out fluffy and delicious, even when I substitute cow milk with almond milk, and the butter with olive oil.  A must-have book, whether you are a professional cook, or someone who is new to the kitchen. Hugh’s writing is brilliant!

Heart of the Artichoke. I love you David! I can’t wait to meet you and have dinner that was cooked by you, and tell you how much I enjoy your recipes, and how your Pho recipe got my little one hooked on Pho, and how your “Honest Loaf” is honestly one of the best bread recipes I ever made, and how your Apricot Jam changed the way my kids feel about apricot jam (Leo claims that it’s the best jam ever), and how you won over my husband’s palate with your Sweet and Sour Lemon Curd Shortbread with candied kumquat. Again, simple, yet elegant and smart meals.

The Kitchen Diaries. If I had to pick a different father for my children, I would pick Nigel. With his home-cooking, I would never have to worry about leaving my kids with him. I know they would eat anything he’ll cook. My Moroccan turkey balls seem plain and boring compared to his chicken patties with rosemary. 

Plenty is definitely not an ordinary vegetarian cookbook. Yotam’s sophisticated approach to vegetables makes you considering becoming a vegetarian. The wild mushroom parcel recipe requires some effort the wild flavor totally worth it. The Warm Glass Noodles and Edamame is a number one bestseller in our house.  
My Father’s Daughter Although she is not a chef, I do appreciate her simple and diverse cooking style and balanced approach to healthy eating. The spaghetti limone recipe has saved me many times when the fridge and pantry were empty.  The portobello & slow-roasted tomato burger is a good vegetarian dish. Her mom’s famous cookies are yummy treats but also harmless.